Railway-switch.



J. M. FALLBR.

RAILWAY swn'on.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. M. FALLBR.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

J. M. FALLER. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIUATION FILED ma. 2. 190a.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

4 BHEETBSKBET 3.

LBR.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP AR. 2, 1908. 902,866. Patented Nov. 3, 1908. 4EEEEEEEEEEEE 4.

Cum

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. FALLER, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

RAILWAY- SWITUH.

citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county ofDuvalhnd State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful lin'irovements in Railway- Switches, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings;

My invention relates to improvements in railway switches and operatingdevices therefor.

One object of the invention i. to provide a safety switch which must bemanually opened to permit a train to pass from the main track to thesiding or branch, and which will he autrmiatically closed after thetrain has cleared it so that a second train will continue past theswitch upon the main track, thus avoiding the danger of wrecks caused.by one train running into another on a siding where the switch is leftopen through carelessness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switchof this characterwith an improved means whereby it may be manually opened and whereby itwill be held open by track devices actuated by the cars of the train.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved track devicewhich is operated by passing cars and which may .be employed foroperating a switch, signal or the like.

WVith the ahove and other objects in View, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and a1- rnngemen't ofdevices hereinafter fully de scribed and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion ofa main track and a siding,,showing the appli cation of my improvedswitchand track device thereto; F 1g. 2 is an enlarged detail plan viewof portions of the switch points and the manual operating devicestherefor; Fig.3 is a vertical section taken on the plane ii'idicated bythe line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. t is an enlarged side elevation of aportion of the track device for holding the switch open; Figs. 5, 6 and7 are vertical sectional views taken respectively on the planesindicated by the lines 5-5, 6-6, and 7'( in Fi 4; and Fig. 8 is a detailvertical longitu inal Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 2, 1908.

'Pet'ented Nov; 3, 1:908.

Serial No. 419,841.

section through the inner ends of the raised or movable track rails.

In the drawings 1 and 2 denote the rails of the main track, 3 and 4 therails of the side track or branch, and 5 and 6 the movable switchpoints. These points are connected, adjacent to their free ends, by atie rod 7 and by an operating rod or bar 8 which extends beneath one ofthe track rails and between two of the cross ties .I. The inner portionof the bar 8 curries attaching brackets 8 secured to the switch points5, 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and its outer end is bifurcated toreceive one end of n slidnble operating rod 10, a pivot bolt 11 unitingsaid ends of the parts 8, 10. The rod 10 extends at right angles to thetrack and is slidably mounted in a rectangular frame 12 secured by bolts13 upon the extended portions of two of the ties 9. The rod 10 is 5)ring actuated in a directii'in to cause it to close the switch, by acoil spring it which surrounds it and is confined between one of thecross pieces of the frame 12 and unad- 'ustablc stop collar or sleeve 15which is locked in an adjusted position bye nut 16 engaged 3vith thethreaded portion of said rod.- The outer end of the rod 10slides in anintermediate cross piece of the frame 12 and has secured upon itsbifurcated block or head 17 in which is pivoted one end of a link 18.This link has pivoted in its other bifurcated end, an upright handlever-'19 which is fulcrumed upon the bolt 20 arranged in hearingbrackets 21 upon the outer end of the frame 12.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the spring 14 exerts its energyto close the switch and that when it is desired to open the same it isnecessary to operate the hand lever 19 in a direction that will slidethe rod 10 inwardly or toward the switch points.

22 denotes a bell crank pivoted at its angle on a vertical pivot 23arranged in a bracket. 24 upon the frame 12. One arm 25 of the bellcrank is bifurcated to receive the collar 15 and in its spaced portionsare formed longitudinalslots 26 to receive pivot studs 27 projecting inopposite directions from the collar 15. The other arm 28 of the bellcrank 22 carries a transverse pivot 29, the ends of which project. intolongitudinal slots 30 formed in a bifurcated block 31 secured upon oneend of a rod 32.

ends of the rails 33, 34 and in the opposite side faces of the lowerportion of the block For the purpose of retaining the switch} in itsopen position after it has been manually opened and during the time atrain is passing through it, I 'rovidethe track device shown more cleary in Figs. 4 to 8, inelusive of the drawings, which device operates andcontrols the rod 32. Said track device comprises two raised track rails33, 34 which are arranged end to end and included in the track of thesiding. The rails 33, 34 have their outer ends suitably hinged to thetrack rails 4 so that they can swing vertically and their opposingln'ner ends are connected together for simultaneous movement by gearsegments 35, 36 formed on the ends of blocks 37, 38 in the form ofcastings which fit the meeting ends of the rails 33, 34 and are securedthereto by transverse bolts 39. The blocks or castings 37, 38 have theirlower ends extended beneath the inner 38 are recesses which'formhorizontal flanges 41. To the latter is secured a U-shaped bolt or clip42 which depends from the block 38 and loosely receives the curved freeend of an arm 43 secured to a horizontal shaft or pivot 44 mounted forrotation in suitable bearings 45 upon longitudinal sleepers or beams 46arranged beneath the cross ties. Fixed to the shaft or pivot 44, outsideof the vertical plane of the raised or movable track rails is an arm 47which is pivoted in the bifurcated end of the rod 32 or a rod which issuitably connected to said rod 32.

The outer ends of the raised tracli rails SE 34 are pivoted or hinged tothe track rails 4 by securing to the meeting ends of said ails, by beltsor the like 48, cast blocks 49, 50, as more clearly shown in Figs. 4 andThe binge blocks 50 upon the rails 33, 34 are formed at their ends withspaced projecting ears 5] to engage the outer side faces of the hingeblocks 49 to which latter they are connected by transverse pivot bolts52.

The track rails 33, 34 are adapted to be depressed by a car or carspassing over them and they are held elevated or off of the cross tiesarranged beneath them on the sleepers 46, by spring devices arranged atsuitable intervals between their ends. One of these spring devices isclearly shown in Figs. 4 and (i and consists of a plate 53 secured bybolts 54 to the bottom of one of said raised rails and having, dependingfrom the center of its under face, a guide stud 55 which slides in avertical bore or opening 5t; formed in a cast frame or block 7-7 whichis arranged upon one of the sleepers 46 and between two of the crossties 9 and has flanges or portions 58 which are bolted to said ties andsleeper. A coil spring 59 surrounds the stud or projection '55 and hasits upper end bearing against the bottom of the plate and its lower endarrai'iged in an enlarged upper portion of the bore 56 and bearing upona shoulder 60 formed in said bore by enlarging its upper end. lt will beseen that these spring devices will hold the vertically movable rails33, 34 in their elevated position shown in Fig. 4 and that when a trainpasses over them they will be moved downwardly into contact with thecross ties 9.

p In order to prevent the raised or movable rails 33, 34 from s readingor moving away from the track rai 3, I provide, at suitable intervalsbetween said rails, tie rods or links 61 which have bifurcated endspivotally con nected to eye bolts 62, 63 arranged, respectively, in thetrack rails 3 and the raised rails 33. 34. as clearly shown in Figs. .1,(S and 7. While in Fig. 1 of the drawings l have shown the track devicearranged in the siding some distance from the main line, t will beunderstood that it may be located as close to the switch as may be foundprar 'i'eal.

The operation ol the invention is as lollows. The spring 1-1 will holdthe switrh normally in its closed position so that trains may pass ineither direction upon the main. track without operating said switr-h.\Vhrn it is desired to .enter the siding, thev lover I!) must bemanually operated to move the switch points 5.. 6 to their open positionand the lever must be held until the train enters the siding and itslocomotive passes upon the raised track rails 33. 1-4. .\s long a saidrails 33. iii are depressed by the ltlt'tlmotive or one ot' the (hrs ofthe train. the switrhu'ill be held open Flllt't the drprossion of saidrails will cause the bell r-rnnlc fornu-d by the lovers 43. 4T toactuate tho rod 2;) so that the sloltod head ll on the latter will holdthe bell crank 2" in the position whirl: it assumes when the hand loverif) i operated to open the switrb. The instant the raised rails 3 34 arereleased, their springderives will elevate them and the rod will bemoved in lllt opposite direction so as to release the bell rranlt 522.whereupon the spring 14 closes the switch. It. will thus be seen thatthe invention will dispense with the necessity of the switch being heldopen n'mnually until the entire train passes through the same and willobviate the duogorof the swilrb being lrll open through carelessness ortorgi-tl'nlnrss. Consequently it will be impossible for wrm'lts' tooccur owing lo the trains passing: through open switches and intosidino's already oorupied by other trains. I

While I have shown and dosrribt-d in delail the preferred embrnliinoutol my invon tion, it will be understood that I do not. wish to belimited to the precise construction set forth and that various changesin the form, proportion, and minor details may'bo rosorted to withoutdeparting l lfllll the spirit thus described my invention what movementwhile a train is passing through,

the switch.

2. The combination with a main line and a siding, of a switch, aslidable operating rod for the switch, a spring foractuatin said rod inone direction to close theswitch, a lever for actuating said rod in theopposite direction to open the switch, a bell crank having one armoperatively connected to said rod, a track device gincluding raisedtrack rails, said raised track rails and a loose connection between saidoperating rod and the other arm of the bell crank.

3. The combination with a main line and a siding, of a switch, aslidable operating rod for the switch, a spring for actuating said rodin one direction to close the switch, a

lever for actuating said rod in the opposite direction to open theswitch, a bell crank havmg one arm operatively connected to said rod, atrack device including raised.

track rails, a second bell crank having one arm actuated by said trackrails, and an operating rod connected to the other arm of the lastmentioned bell crank and having a loose connection with the second armof the first mentioned bell crank.

4. The combination with a main line and a siding, of a switch, aslidable operating rod for the switch, a spring for actuatin said rod inone direction to close the switch, a lever for actuating said rod in theopposite direction to open the switch, a bell crank having one armoperativelliy connected to said rod, a track device inclu ing raisedtrack rails arranged in the siding, said raised track rails having theirouter ends hingedl connected to the'stationary track rails an theirinner ends provided with meshing gear segments, spring devices forelevating said raised track rails, a yoke dependin from the inner end ofone of the raiser? track rails, a horizontal shaft, an arm upon thelatter loosely engaged with said yoke, a second arm upon said shaft, arod. pivoted to. the'last mentioned arm, and a loose connection betweensaid rod and the secondarm of said bell crank.

The combination with stationary track rails, of verticallymovable trackrails having their outer ends hingedly connected to an operating rodactuated by,

ing their outer en the stationary ones and-their inner ends providedwith meshing gear segments, sprin devices -for elevating said movablerails, and an actuating device operated by said movable track rails.

6. The combination with stationary track rails, of verticall ,movabletrack rails havd s hingedly connected to the stationary ones and theirinner endsprovided with meshing gear segments, spri devices foielevatisaid movable trac rails, a bell crank aving one arm operativelyconnected to track rails, and an operating rod connected to the otherarm of the bell crank.

7. The combination with stations rails, of vertically movable trackrails havmg their outer ends hingedly connected to the stationary onesand their inner ends provided with meshing gear segments, spri devicesfor elevating the movable trac rails, a yoke depending from the innerend of one of the movable track rails ahorizontal shaft, an arm uponsaid shaft; and loosely enga ed with said yoke, a second arm upon saidsl aft, and an operating rod connected to the second mentioned arm.

8. The combination of a track having vertically movable track railsarran ed in one of its sides, and tie rods or li s between the movablerails and the rails of the other side,

9. The combination of a track having vertically movable track railsarranged in one of its sides, eye bolts in the movable rails trac trackone of the movable and the rails of the other side of the track,

and links pivotally connecting said eye bolts.

10. The combination of a track having a vertically movable track rail, acasi arranged beneath the movable track rai and having a vertical openina guide stud depending from the mova le track rail and slidablc,in anopening in the casin and a s ring surrounding said stud for, e evating te movable track rail.

11. The combination of a track having a vertically movable rail, a latesecured to the base'of the movable rail and having a depending stud, acasing arranged beneath themovable rail and having a vertical bore oropening to receive said stud, said bore or opening being formed with ashoulder, and a coil spring surrounding the stud and confined betweensaid shoulder and said late.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a my signature in the presence of twowitnesses i JOHN M. FALLER. Witnesses:

R. G. PEMBERTON, WM- E. To'r'r.

